Rocking and Rolling on the Radiance

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CrazyCanuck

Guest

I sailed on Radiance of the Seas on Nov16/03. I found it to be a rough sail. I have been on two other RCCL ships in the past and never felt motion at all other than once during a bad storm. Does anyone know if Radiance is always rough? We were delayed in port for four hours before departure due to maintence and returned home 8 hours early with no explanation. Wondering if it was just our groups imagination or did something not seem right.

Thanks.

Post Edited (11-26-03 18:48)

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golffore2001

Guest

CrazyCanuck

Guest

Thanks for the response. It was sunny and warm most days. The winds were high at times but it was moving while in port. Maybe I'll stick to the voyager class and hope. I really like RCCL, it is the only line we've sailed.

L

Lady Jag

Guest

I'm really surprised to hear that! I would consider the Radiance the smoothest ship I've been on. The weather was perfect when we were on it, so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. I really think WIND and cabin location are the biggest factors when it comes to a rough ride. Maybe something was wrong with the ship and that's why you returned early? :? :? :? :? :?

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sailingrose

Guest

Don't kid yourself the Voyager class ships do there fair share of rockin and rollin.......The Navigator lurched last Christmas when I was sitting at the Black Jack table. Thought I had too many drinks.....nope only 2 that day. That size ship will rock if the seas are rough or the winds high.

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TheParrotHeads

Guest

Please don't hold me to this, but i am almost positive my opinion is correct.

The ships are built with stabilizers that help to reduce the motion of the ship while in water. Many times they are turned off, since they decrease the speed of the ship (by a few MPH's). Often they are only disengaged with weather permitting. My guess is they might have experienced maintenance problems with something effecting the stabilizers or attributing to its malfuntion and were forced to shut them down. With the rough seas and high trade winds you simply might have been more vulnerable to feel the motion of the ship. I may be wrong with the last part of this hypothesis. I do know for a fact however, they are equipped with stabilizers that they may engage or disengage. The rest of the hypothesis, that they simply shut down or were not being used is only a guess. If I am absolutely wrong with any of this please correct me. Thanks and enjoy the Holidays!

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Ali

Guest

I'm with SailingRose on this one. The Voyager Class do their fair share of rockin and rollin too. I have experienced more rocking and swaying on the Voyager than any other RCI ship I have sailed on. It all depends on what is happening in that water. One time a glass in the bathroom "jumped" over that rail on the shelf and smashed on the floor. Last Christmas on the Adventure the water glasses at dinner would have made a weak person seasick watching it sway from side to side. :lol

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Roland

Guest

I agree with you Lady Jag. My experience from all the Radiance-class vessels is that they take the seas extremely well. Of course the use of stabilizers is important in rough weather on any vessel, even on the biggest ones. On a transatlantic crossing on one of the Voyager-class vessels, the stabilizer fins had to be retracted for some time. With strong wind and some 50 ft waves, I can assure you the motion was noticeable! The rocking and rolling CrazyCanuck felt on the RD-cruise, could indicate malfunctioning stabilizers.

C

CrazyCanuck

Guest

Thanks everyone!
I must admit we felt that perhaps there was a problem with stabalizers. The ship never stopped rocking! Even in port it swayed from side to side. The weather for the most part was sunny and warm. Only one night did we have a bad storm and I expected then not to be able to walk the halls straight but this was every day. We were not told what the problem was that held us in port or returned us early. In fact we only heard from our young captain after complaining to guest relations. He was a Canadian as well, maybe that was the problem! LOL.

Budracer

Guest

I agree, we were on the Adventure and also the Grand Princess. The Grand had rough sea the first 2 days and it rocked side to side like the Adventure did the whole trip, don't get me wrong it was very tolerable just noticable.

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LVIGGIANI

Guest

We sailed on the Grand Princess the week before you, and we also rock and rolled a few days. I posted a thread on another cruise board asking about stabilizers. I found out that many Captains turn them off, for they save fuel that way, and the ship can move faster. That I did not know the Captain could turn them off. I know that now. The week I sailed Nov. 9th - 16th, the weather here in Florida was quite windy, I found out by emailing home. So I dont belive the Stabilizers would have stopped the rocking completly anyway.

L

Lady Jag

Guest

The Grand Princess' aft section is one of the WORST 'rides' we've ever had. Talk about a lot of movement!! We've been on a 40,000 GRT older ship in 25 foot swells and experienced less movement than we had on the Grand Princess. I'm sure the stabilizers were working, it's just the way the ship 'rides'.

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CrazyCanuck

Guest

Just an update re our complaint to RCCL re the rocking of the ship, late leaving, early arrival and no comments from the captain re the bad storm. It seems there was nothing in the ships logs about the ship leaving late or returning early. Nothing about the maintaince issue that was the supposed reason for leaving late. Sorry RCCL but I'm very disappointed in the response. They've lost one set of sailors.

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ljeanbrown

Guest

That seems a bit extreme, to never sail a cruise line again because the ship moved in the water! While I agree it is no fun rocking and rolling the weather and seas have a lot to do with that, not just the stablizers. OK you were not very happy with the reply from RCCL, but still to never sail on them again because of that seems a bit harsh. You never said anything about the cruise itself or the service. Did you have fun and so on....?

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CrazyCanuck

Guest

We booked 23 people on the ship. We were very specific about movement. Don't get me wrong I know you get movement on any ship and weather is always a factor but we were assured this being a newer ship than previously and more advanced stablizers that we should be fine. Also we had previously always been in hurricane season and never felt as much movment. It isn't the movement that makes me not want to sail with them again as much as the poor feeling I get with the lack of information. The night of the large storm ( we were losing furniture off the decks) there was nothing from the captain. We went to customer service and asked how long the storm was to last and they couldn't tell us??? I'm sure they have very safisticated radar on that ship and should know exactly how long the storm will last. I think I was more nervous this time because I had my kids with me and wanted to know they were safe. That's hard to do if no one is telling you what's going on. If I knew there was a problem with stabalizers then it's at least knowlede and that helps. I only had fun off the ship in ports and dreaded getting back on each night. Constant movement for 7 days and no information is frustrating. The fact that it's not in a ships logs concerns me and makes me wonder about my safety. Maybe it's the same on all ships seeing as I don't know much about ships logs but I would have thought the late leaving and very early arrival would have merited some acknowledgement in the logs. It may seem harsh but it has left a bitter taste in my mouth for RCCL.

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Schooner

Guest

I must say I will never understand some people when it comes to movement of the ship and saying they will never cruise on it again because it moved more than any other ship. You really have to take into account the weather. Not just the wind. It could be a nice sunny day, and you could still be rolling because of the swells. When you see white caps on the water that is from the wind. The waves will cause alot of small jolts in the ship but it is the swell that really causes the rolling. A ships stabalizers only help to reduce the side to side movement not front to back and even then they have their limits. And yes they were working. And yes even the voyager class ships can rock and roll too. I have seen the weather (rough) be similiar in terms of wind and waves sometimes but have the ship move a hell of alot more due to the swell. It also depends on the direction they are headed relative to the wind. So in short these ships are very stable, to be upset because the ship moved alot is just .........., hello your on a cruise out in the ocean! Ship happens! As for the maintainance they probably had to get back early because of something wrong, but is it really that big a deal not knowing what went wrong. I'm not sure what about safety bothered you, just things falling or hard time walking, I guess I don't understand why you wouldn't feel safe.

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CrazyCanuck

Guest

Not sure how you would know if they were working as you weren't on that ship at that time. However it's not the movement alone that makes me not want to sail RCCL again. It was the lack of information and genral attitude of the line that was upsetting. I've read an awful lot of reviews on cruise ships and have not found one where people say that the ship moved for the entire trip. I'm not talking about a slight sensation. The doors to the bathroom and the cabinets were constantly in motion! It was odd that the other ship passengers from different ships in the same ocean did not feel the same movement that we were feeling. Truly I was disappointed in RCCL and given past experiences with the line this was not in what I felt was an appropriate response. I think in storms where furniture is flying off the deck and there is no word from the bridge then I think I do have a right to worry about mine and my family's safety. I have never sailed before where the captain has not addressed rough waters and certainly not where there has been such a bad storm! The customer service manager did confirm for us that this was not a normal sail for Radiance but he couldn't really comment further and directed us to customer service in Miami, not that we were given any answers their either. I think that not unlike other industries, customer service is a key factor in how one views future business. In this case I'm afraid they dropped the ball and that is the reason we wont consider them in the future. There are just too many other 5 and 6 star rated ships out there.

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Ashley

Guest

Hmmmm I consider myself Radiance's number one fan so this is probably extremely biased but oh well.....was on Radiance last summer in Alaska, had a few nights where it was a little hard to walk, very windy but for the most part it was a smooth, beautiful sail. I had more trouble on Voyager in the Western Caribbean....Voyager can certainly get rocky! Worst night was Midnight Buffet night.....sad, because I was looking forward to that! As to the captain/crew not addressing the situation.....Captain Ringborn on Radiance is amazing! I'm not sure what happened there.....but I understand about worrying for your family's safety. I would have demanded answers too! Hope you give RCI another try in the future-maybe try Radiance in Alaska....

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Schooner

Guest

Well crazycanuck I guess you don't know me. I work on the Radiance. In my siganture I don't post all ships because it would be to many. I was there at that sailing and I am here now. I do understand how you wanted to know what was going on with the weather. The only time I hear the captain mention the weather is the noon report. Sometimes the captain may wish not to spoil the guests expectatios of the cruise by forecasting the future since so many times I have heard the captains report to be wrong. He only gets his report from each ixsand that he is headed to. If I were the captain I wouldn't come on the PA and say oh by the way your whole week is gonna suck weather wise, would you?? Alot of times the weather changes from what the captain receives. he will only ever give you the report for the next day or two.